Poll: Florida voters who swooned for Crist in ’07 are viewing Scott more cautiously

Florida voters who were dazzled by Charlie Crist after his first month in office four years ago are viewing new Gov. Rick Scott much more warily, a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning shows.

The new poll shows 35 percent approve of the way Scott has done his job in his first few weeks in office, with 22 percent disapproving and 43 percent undecided. Scott is viewed favorably by 28 percent of voters and unfavorably by 24 percent, with 45 percent saying they don’t know enough to form an opinion.

The new survey of 1,160 registered voters was taken Jan. 25-31 and has a 2.9 percent margin of error. By a 52-to-34 percent margin, Florida voters like Scott’s approach of cutting government programs and services rather than raising taxes to handle the state’s budget problems. But 58 percent say they don’t believe Scott can keep his pledge not to raise taxes or fees.

Scott’s proposal to have state employees contribute to their pensions is supported by 64 percent of voters, but his plan to lay off 5 percent of the state work force is called a “bad idea” by 46 percent, with 42 percent calling it a “good idea.”

Multimillionaire Scott is taking only a $1 salary as governor and paying for flights around the state with his own money. Fifty-three percent of voters say they think more favorably of Scott because of that, with 6 percent thinkng less favorably and 40 percent saying it doesn’t make a difference.

Overall, 56 percent of Floridians say they are optimistic about the next four years with Scott as governor, with 29 percent calling themselves pessimistic.